The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-12-14
PANSIES.

/ ~ WI SOAAO 1dNhf [lcA Wlao eyes grow
desolate as she looked at him. Then the
lashes dropped over them, and she lay mo-
tionless against his breast for second, as
though the spirit had died within her.
"Jeannette-is this the girl fitted to be
soldiers wife2 Have you no regard for my
honor!' His voice quivered, but his eyes
looked down upon her proudly.
YES She reused herself bravely. "Your
duty Is at the front. would not hold you
back y
She placed her hand on the bunch of pam
sizes at her throat; royal beauties they were
with great velvety hearts of purple and gold.
They are my colors," she whispered.
Wear them, my knight, and be true to your
lady always
Her trembling fingers pinned them inside
his coat.
God be with you.n She kept the tears
back, smiling into his face though the drum
beat sounding in the street below seemed like
a death knell. 1t was the signal to start-the
signal for the volunteers the brave men who
were Off for the Indian war, this dreadful
war that had come like blight upon her
beautiful western home.
"Goodby, and God bless you'll The pansies
will be my talismann
A last look into the dreamy, lifted eyes,
and he was away, riding down the street
with dash and clatter into the midst of the
| excited men who were armed to the teeth,
well mounted and equipped ready to meet on
his own battle ground the Indian chieftain
and his warlike band
| The most intense excitement ragged in the
mining camp Ever since the news had
come that the old chief was on the warpath
and the call had been made for volunteers to
defend the settlers on the frontier the town
had been alive with men anxious to obtain
the scalp of the bloodthirsty redskin.
| Two days before the militia had been or
dered out, and just as the setting sun was
| Illuminating the red buttes in the valley, the
brave boys had marched away, the strains
of the martial music sounding sadly in the
ears of those who had loved ones In the ranks
And now these plucky volunteers were to
follow. A determined set they were; most
of them hardy mountaineers as well
trained to the saddle as cowboys, and as reck-
less of life and limb.
| Among them none was more fearless or
more brave than Ned Ashby. He was one of
the young pioneers who had struck boz
nanza in the mines. More than that Ito use
| the phraseology of the mining camp), he had
| located claim on the prettiest girl in town
and patented tia stroke of good luck that
had made him more envied among the boys
than even his mining shares in tho 'May
| Queen
He shared the univeral feeling Of all people
| upon the frontier, that tho red man must be-
| come civilized or "go.p Too long these un-
| tanned citizens had committed their lawless
| depredations and their fiendiish outrages The
white settlers felt that thoir wrongs must be
avenged II tho government had handled
these sayages with gloved hands, all felt as
sured that the state would not. Hence this
call for volunteers to defend the isolated
ranchmen and their families
Jeannette, standing at the window, gazed
with dumb despair at the horsemen riding
down the valley. Among them none looked
SO handsome or SO eashing as her own lover,
he whose warm kisses still fingered on her
lips.
The tears rose slowly in her eyes as she
looked after him. The world was so beauti-
full, why should 1t be married by such thing
as ware Her eyes wandered away from the
horscmen, now lost in cloud Of dust, to the
fair mountain that hemmed her in
Then came the news Of fierce battle be-
tween the utes and Maj. Thornburgh's men,
in which many were wounded on either side
Her father came homo at noon with an open
telegram in his hand.
She took it from him silently, reading:
Edward Ashby was wounded in the bat
tie OF the -th iistant."
She did not faint, though he had expected
she would, but her face Observation-Disclosures
until IL was like marblo--and her eyes grew
large and black, glowing like stars.
II must co. she said, land nurse him.
"Dear child,n he replied, his hand upon
hers this Is folly, the talk OF insanity. You
cannot go, Jeanette.
sEnt / willr The color leaped TO her
cheeks again, and her eyes flashed
He could not say her nay then. He knew
her nature too well Thwarted In this de-
sire, she would die.
~ cannot go with you, Jeanette. Can
you go alone9"
"Yesp She drew herself up grandly. 1t
was the proud right Of the western Ameri-
can girl She knew no fear
At O the next morning her favorite horse
Plato stood at the door.
At niqhtfall she WINS ut the springs. fiftv
miles away. 1t was a popular summer re-
sort. and many guests had been there but nj
the first news of war most of them had fed
to the eastern towns.
At the hotel many people knew her. but
they had only words of syrnpatbv and en-
couragement for the brave girl. In that ex-
citing time deeds OF bravery like this oven
from women. were not rare.
The general. who had headquarters nj the
Springs and who had heard IN her ARRIVAL
and her PURPOSE sent for. her IN tho evening
She came to him with eaper ewes awa;tinc
the news which he had inst received by
courier from the scene Of battle Bevond Nc
Springs there were no telegraph wires and
the couriers rode dav and NIGHT over the
dangerous Indian trails to bring the tidings.
SIS there--any-news Of himp, she fsl.
tered.
"Yesn The generals voice almost cboled
as hc looked at her. How could he brea. the
heart OF this brave Young creature. WHOSE
great love made her so beautiful. its unselfish
burmese shining from every feat,,rea How
could he tell her the cruel truth. with those
love lit. starry eyes fixed 50 unfincbinrlyI
upon hisl
.Child. y he said. his hand ,.p,n bers oven
as her fathers had been, his eyes full Of kind.
Eess, his stern voice suddenly tender, ssyour
lover Is dead. The courier Just in states that